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ESCAPING THE PMS MAZE by Geoffrey Redmond, MD NUTRITION Frequent meals For some women, skipping meals results in lowering of blood sugar which can release adrenalin into the bloodstream. Although this is harmless, it can feel like impending disaster and it may take your body an hour or more just to get back to baseline. Women with these hypoglycemia symptoms can be helped by a customized meal plan. Vegetarian diets low in fat reduce premenstrual symptoms but not all can follow them. If you do want to go in this direction, a gradual, step-wise approach is usually more realistic than a sudden change which does not give your body time to adapt. Soy Despite recent alarmist claims, soy is probably the healthiest food you can eat. It seems to have a soothing effect on hormones. Only real tofu or soy milk have all the healthy ingredients. Pills and capsules don’t do it. One ounce of tofu a day gives you adequate isoflavanoids. Carbohydrate need not be avoided. It does have a soothing effect on mood and anxiety. The main guidelines are: Meals should not be entirely carb. Complex carbs and whole grains are best. Minimize sweets and do not substitute sweets for real meals. Avoid binging. If you are hungry and irritable, eat a modest amount then give it time to make you feel better. Comfort foods Not all foods which make you feel good are unhealthy. Hot soup and fresh juices are good choices. Water and salt Be sure to increase your water intake after ovulation (about 14 days after your period starts). Most women should limit salt but some slender women with low blood pressure lose salt before their periods rather than retaining it. If you feel dizzy or weak during the premenstrual week, you may need to increase salt. some important points about PMS
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Copyright © 2008 Hormone Center of New York. Last modified:
03/23/08
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